The Akaroa waterfront is the most pleasant half-kilometre in Canterbury. The waterfront promenade runs along the harbour edge past the wharf, the boat sheds, and a row of timber buildings dating from the 19th century, some with French-style shutters and verandahs. The scale is intimate enough to feel genuinely historic rather than preserved.
The Akaroa Museum, just off the waterfront, traces the town's French colonial history and includes the Langlois-Eteveneaux House — the oldest French building still standing in New Zealand. The wharf is the departure point for dolphin swim tours and harbour cruises. In the evening, when the day-trippers have gone, the waterfront is very quiet and very pleasant.